5 Best Songs on Katy Perry’s ‘Witness’

Katy Perry’s fifth studio album Witnessarrives today and fans clamoring for a listen will love the electronic soundscape. It might be the singer’s boldest album to date, embracing synthesizers and borrowing more from hip-hop and EDM than her previous mainstream pop efforts have dared.

On Witness, Perry stretches to brainier destinations. On “Bon Appetit,” her PG-13 approach to sexuality earns its first R rating. Meanwhile, her more overt political inclinations take the form of self-styled “purposeful pop.” Here are the best songs on Witness:

“Witness”The album’s opening, title track plays as an invitation and a statement of intent. Perry sings about romantic and creative uncertainty but invites fans along for the ride. Its complex soundscape signals a more experimental approach and it leaves the listener curious about what, exactly, they’re about to “witness.”

“Pendulum”Perhaps the most “purposeful” of all the purposeful pop on Witness is “Pendulum,” a soaring manifesto that employs a gospel choir for maximum effect. Perry implores listeners to be themselves and forget the haters—and the lyrics evoke a kind of heroized Hillary Clinton, about whom Katy was inspired to make music.

“Save as Draft”Katy Perry’s best songs convey something equal parts mundane and profound: On “save as draft,” she sings about drafting an email to a former lover and backing out of sending her true feelings. Perhaps Perry (a massive Britney Spears fan) has the singer’s iconic dot-com song “Email My Heart” in mind. In Perry’s story, she doesn’t hit “send.”

“Swish Swish”A side-effect of Katy’s promotion for Witness has been re-litigating her five-year beef with Taylor Swift. “Swish Swish” is red meat for feud theorists and features a killer Nicki Minaj verse. The house-inspired dance track makes the most of a Fatboy Slim sample.

“Tsunami”On “Tsunami,” Katy tries her hand at moody, ambient synth-rock in the style of Tame Impala. The track echoes Rihanna’s cover of “Same Ol’ Mistakes” and challenges listeners with a more laidback approach to pop. It’s a very of-the-moment shout-out to New Wave aesthetics.